League of American Bicyclists - Advocacy Advancehttp://bikeleague.org/league-vocabulary/advocacy-advance
enTurning Lemons into Lemonade in KChttp://bikeleague.org/content/turning-lemons-lemonade-kc
<div class="field field-name-field-category field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Advocacy Advance</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"> <p><a href="http://www.bikewalkalliance.org/blog/529-how-a-rapid-response-grantee-made-lemons-out-of-lemonade-in-kansas-city" target="_blank"><em><strong>This post originally appeared on the Alliance for Biking &amp; Walking's blog.</strong></em></a></p>
<p>Things didn’t go exactly as planned in <a href="http://bikewalkkc.org/">BikeWalkKC</a>’s campaign to include complete streets treatments in plans for a new streetcar expansion. But no one can say it wasn't a terrific success.</p>
<p>Knowing that a proposed streetcar expansion wouldn’t be of much use if people couldn’t walk or bike safely to it, BikeWalkKC mobilized neighborhood advocates to lobby the city to include complete streets in the final streetcar expansion plan. They hoped to eventually secure up to $2 million for biking/walking infrastructure improvements along the streetcar route.</p>
<p>They envisioned fully protected bike lanes connecting to the rest of the city’s bike network, racks, and bike-share stations. They wanted curb extensions, automatic pedestrian signals, and traffic calming.</p>
<p><img src="/sites/default/files/linwood_0.png" width="700" height="341" style="margin: 15px auto; display: block;" /></p>
<p>Here at <a href="http://www.advocacyadvance.org/">Advocacy Advance</a>, a partnership between the Alliance and the League of American Bicyclists, we could see the potential for a transformative victory in Kansas City. BikeWalkKC asked us for a $3,000 <a href="http://www.advocacyadvance.org/grants#rapidresponsegrants">Rapid Response grant</a> to help them mount the campaign, and we approved it without hesitation. The possibility of turning $3,000 into a $2 million public investment into biking and walking along a new transit line was too good to turn down.</p>
<p>After all, that’s what Rapid Response grants are for: taking advantage of a sudden opportunity to leverage a small amount of campaign funds into a significant public investment in active transportation. The grants are approved on a rolling basis with quick turnaround so that the money gets where it needs to go quickly.</p>
<p>It looked like BikeWalkKC was poised for great success.</p>
<p>But then, in August, <a href="http://www.kansascity.com/news/government-politics/article1098583.html">voters rejected the streetcar expansion plan</a> and the whole thing fell apart.</p>
<p>But does that mean that the whole campaign was for naught? Not at all!</p>
<p>BikeWalkKC laid the groundwork for complete streets advocacy in Kansas City and consolidated the message that any future streetcar expansions should be accompanied by biking and walking improvements. The organization developed meaningful relationships with neighborhood groups and established the framework for a CompleteKC campaign, which is by no means dead. Even after the election confirmed the streetcar plan was going nowhere, BikeWalkKC used their remaining grant money to create graphics for CompleteKC, which evolved to embrace a mission beyond that particular corridor.</p>
<p>Plus, the city passed a “Road Diet” resolution to evaluate all streets in Kansas City and implement at least one road diet.</p>
<p>BikeWalkKC managed to keep itself out of the heated debate over the transit proposal. “Because transit advocacy is a bit outside of our mission we were careful to keep the focus on the opportunity for complete streets and not on the streetcar itself,” said Eric Bunch, BikeWalkKC’s director of education and policy. “Additionally, the city's streetcar campaign was somewhat divisive, so we felt it was best to ensure that our messaging was clear that we were merely supporting the inclusion of bicycle and pedestrian improvements in a city plan and that we weren't necessarily supporting the streetcar."</p>
<p>Indeed, rather than get dragged down with the controversy, the complete streets campaign actually helped lift up the streetcar. One neighborhood association along the proposed streetcar route submitted a letter of support for the project conditional on a complete streets treatment. And the consultant teams working on the expansion plan said that improving conditions for bikes and pedestrians was one of the most common recommendations from their community feedback. Despite the fact that this particular project was a no-go, BikeWalkKC emerged "poised to make great change in Kansas City thanks to the network of neighborhood advocates we created with this project,” said Bunch.</p>
<p>In the end, it was $3,000 well spent, even if it didn’t lead to the results BikeWalkKC and Advocacy Advnace envisioned at the start. “We saw it as an opportunity to regroup and be even better prepared for the next time streetcar expansion is proposed,” Bunch said. “The streetcar expansion will be back. Next time we will be far better prepared for it thanks to this Rapid Response grant.”</p>
</div></div></div>Fri, 06 Feb 2015 15:56:37 +0000Liz Murphy5057 at http://bikeleague.orghttp://bikeleague.org/content/turning-lemons-lemonade-kc#comments$20,000 More in Advocacy Advance Grants Available!http://bikeleague.org/content/20000-more-advocacy-advance-grants-available
<div class="field field-name-field-category field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Advocacy Advance</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"> <p><em><strong><a href="http://www.bikewalkalliance.org/blog/525-rei" target="_blank"><img src="/sites/default/files/5260861427_6c498e7217_0.jpg" width="400" height="266" style="margin: 15px; float: right;" />This post originally appeared on the Alliance for Biking &amp; Walking's blog.</a></strong></em></p>
<p>Calling all advocates!</p>
<p>It's legislative season. If your organization is working under a tight timeframe to unlock public dollars to plan, build, maintain, or promote safe walking and biking facilities, we can help. We're delighted to announced that <strong>REI just contributed <a href="http://www.bikewalkalliance.org/blog/447-rei-awards-advocacy-advance-25000-to-support-rapid-response-grants">another</a> $20,000 for Advocacy Advance Rapid Response grants</strong>, and that money is available as fast as you need it.</p>
<p>These grants support state and local organizations that find themselves suddenly and unexpectedly in a position to win, increase, or preserve public funding for biking and walking. We helped the <a href="http://www.advocacyadvance.org/media/blog/victory-in-idaho-speaks-to-power-of-grassroots">Idaho Bicycle &amp; Pedestrian Alliance</a> successfully convince the Idaho Transportation Board to fully fund the new Transportation Alternatives Program under MAP-21; the <a href="http://www.advocacyadvance.org/media/blog/bicycle-federation-of-wisconsin-restores-2-million-for-bike-ped-to-state-bu">Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin</a> turned its $3,000 Rapid Response grant into $2 million of state bike/ped funding that was in jeopardy of being zeroed out. And just last year, <a href="http://www.sportsbackers.org/program/bike-walk-rva/">Bike Walk RVA</a> used its Rapid Response grant to shower the Richmond City Council with postcards, phone calls, and emails from the community -- and successfully won $4.5 million in the city's Capital Improvement Plan Budget for bicycle infrastructure.</p>
<p>Sometimes traditional grant processes are too slow for these fast-acting, short-term campaigns, and that's where Rapid Response grants come in. There are no deadlines: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis so we can be as nimble and quick in our response as communities need to be.</p>
<p>Last year, Advocacy Advance -- a partnership of the Alliance and the League of American Bicyclists -- awarded over $100,000 in grants to member organizations, in conjunction with resources, technical assistance, coaching, and training to supplement the grants. And the investment has paid off brilliantly: Since 2011, 35 Rapid Response grants have helped win or preserve over $150 million in public funding.</p>
<p>The additional $20,000 that REI is contributing for 2015 will make a big difference, used strategically in targeted, fast-paced campaigns for active transportation funding. With these grants, biking and walking advocates can help preserve the funding and infrastructure to make that possible for millions of people. </p>
<p>So if your organization needs some extra juice for an organizing campaign, <a href="http://www.advocacyadvance.org/grants">apply for a Rapid Response grant</a> today! </p>
</div></div></div>Tue, 03 Feb 2015 16:40:40 +0000Liz Murphy5051 at http://bikeleague.orghttp://bikeleague.org/content/20000-more-advocacy-advance-grants-available#commentsA Year in Review: Advocacy Advancehttp://bikeleague.org/content/year-review-advocacy-advance
<div class="field field-name-field-category field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Advocacy Advance</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"> <p><em><img src="/sites/default/files/CycloBia_Brownsville_0.jpg" width="350" height="195" style="margin: 15px; float: right;" />This <a href="http://www.bikewalkalliance.org/news/459-wonk-up-your-holidays-with-all-of-advocacy-advances-2014-reports-and-webinars" target="_blank">post</a> originally appeared on the Alliance for Biking &amp; Walking's blog and is written by Mary Lauran Hall.</em></p>
<p>If you need a healthy helping of bicycle and pedestrian policy insight to get through the holiday season, you've come to the right place.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.advocacyadvance.org/" target="_blank">Advocacy Advance</a>, our partnership with the <a href="http://bikeleague.org/" target="_blank">League of American Bicyclists</a>, released a series of reports and webinars this year to help advocates and public officials in the U.S. maximize investment in bicycling and walking.</p>
<p>Missed a few sessions or reports? We've got you covered. Here's the full list of reports and sessions from 2014. </p>
<ul><li><strong><a href="http://www.bikewalkalliance.org/news/85-webinar-recap-winning-bicycling-and-walking-projects-in-tiger-6-applications" target="_blank">Winning Bicycling and Walking Projects in TIGER 6 Applications</a> (March 2014)<br /></strong>To prepare advocates and agency staff for the application process, Advocacy Advance held a webinar about the new round of TIGER 6 grants. The session included tips from successful past applicants.</li>
<li><strong><a href="http://www.bikewalkalliance.org/news/115-webinar-recap-going-multimodal-at-the-ballot-box" target="_blank">Going Multimodal at the Ballot Box</a></strong> <strong>(April 2014)</strong><br />As the federal funding landscape changes, more states, regions and cities are looking for local sources of critical transportation dollars. As a result, there has been a recent surge of transportation ballot measures across the United States. Advocacy Advance partnered with the Center for Transportation Excellence (CFTE) and the National Alliance of Public Transportation Advocates on this webinar designed to provide advocates with the necessary tools to take a transportation ballot measure from an idea to a winning measure. </li>
<li><strong><a href="http://www.bikewalkalliance.org/news/252-getting-it-done-how-communities-are-paying-for-innovative-infrastructure" target="_blank">Getting it Done: How Communities are Paying for Innovative Infrastructure</a> (July 2014)<br /></strong>How are communities across the country paying for separated bicycle infrastructure? Just like how communities are paying for other important civic infrastructure, communities are using a combination of federal, state, local/regional, and private sources of funds.</li>
<li><strong><a href="http://www.bikewalkalliance.org/news/378-first-mile-last-mile-a-look-into-biking-and-walking-in-federal-transit-administration-programs" target="_blank">First Mile, Last Mile: A Look into Biking and Walking in Federal Transit Administration Programs</a>(August 2014) </strong><br />This report looks at how biking and walking can be integrated with transit, and which FTA programs can support projects and programs to increase accessibility among people who bike, walk, and take transit. REPORT &amp; WEBINAR</li>
<li><strong><a href="http://www.bikewalkalliance.org/news/404-new-report-public-private-partnerships-for-transportation" target="_blank">Public-Private Partnerships for Transportation</a> (September 2014)</strong> <br />This concise primer answers basic questions about public-private partnerships (PPP, or P3) and how bicycling and walking can fit into these projects. </li>
<li><strong><a href="http://www.bikewalkalliance.org/news/426-map-21-looking-back-and-looking-ahead" target="_blank">MAP-21: Looking Back &amp; Looking Ahead</a> (October 2014) </strong><br />The current federal transportation bill, Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21) was a two-year bill that started on October 1, 2012. Two years later, MAP-21 was set to expire on October 1, 2014 but has received a slight extension through May 31, 2015. On this Advocacy Advance webinar, we looked back on MAP-21 and forecast what’s next for federal transportation funding for bicycling and walking.</li>
<li><strong><a href="http://www.bikewalkalliance.org/news/453-leveraging-health-funding-for-active-transportation-investments" target="_blank">Leveraging Health Funding for Active Transportation Investments</a> (November 2014)</strong><br />How can transportation and health stakeholders work together well? This report reviews the recent round of CDC awards in the area of prevention and provides examples of effective health-transportation partnerships. </li>
<li><strong><a href="http://www.bikewalkalliance.org/news/479-new-report-how-communities-are-paying-to-maintain-trails-bike-lanes-and-sidewalks" target="_blank">How Communities Are Paying to Maintain Trails, Bike Lanes, and Sidewalks</a> (December 2014)</strong><br />This report addresses both the technical and political challenges to maintaining sidewalks, trails, and protected bikeways. It examines agency maintenance policies and procedures for bike/ped maintenance, and it provides several examples of communities who’ve successfully made these facilities a sufficient priority to overcome the challenge of paying for maintenance. </li>
</ul></div></div></div>Fri, 19 Dec 2014 16:31:41 +0000Liz Murphy5022 at http://bikeleague.orghttp://bikeleague.org/content/year-review-advocacy-advance#commentsA Southern Success Storyhttp://bikeleague.org/content/southern-success-story
<div class="field field-name-field-category field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Advocacy Advance</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"> <p><em><em>Cross-posted from the <a href="http://www.advocacyadvance.org/media/blog/lessons-from-atlanta-a-southern-success-story" target="_blank">Advocacy Advance blog</a>. </em>In 2011, Advocacy Advance <a href="http://www.advocacyadvance.org/media/press-release/advocacy-advance-awards-100000-in-grants" target="_blank">awarded Model Grants</a> to advocates in Pittsburgh and Atlanta to provide multi-year support for efforts to significantly increase public investments for biking and walking. Three years later, these grants have come to a close, resulting in exciting progress, major wins, and stage-setting advocacy in both communities.</em> </p>
<p>The <a href="http://www.atlantabike.org/" target="_blank">Atlanta Bicycle Coalition (ABC)</a> is a model for organizations working in cities that are not traditionally known as bikeable or bike-friendly and are working to kick-start a cultural shift in order to effect city-wide transportation system change.</p>
<p>“Our approach has been to make latent demand visible to agencies and elected officials through community-building, inclusive events like <a href="http://openstreetsproject.org/" target="_blank">open streets</a>, beginner-friendly rides and classes, and socials,” says Rebecca Serna, Executive Director of the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition. “As our numbers for these have grown, we’ve continued to emphasize that participation demonstrates demand for shift in infrastructure priorities towards more bikeable, walkable projects and communities."</p>
<p><img src="/sites/default/files/ABC_AtlantaStreetsAlive.jpg" width="500" height="375" style="margin: 15px auto; display: block;" /></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em><a href="http://www.atlantabike.org/atlanta_streets_alive" target="_blank">Atlanta Streets Alive</a>, organized by Atlanta Bicycle Coalition, is the city’s open streets event where streets are opened to people who can freely walk, bike, and have fun in the streets. In 2014, over 130,000 Atlantans attended Atlanta Streets Alive. Photo courtesy of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/atlantastreetsalive/photos/pb.127828730622740.-2207520000.1418925358./654878044584470/?type=3&amp;theater" target="_blank">Atlanta Streets Alive</a>.</em></p>
<p>As a <a href="http://www.advocacyadvance.org/grants#past" target="_blank">Model Grantee</a> ready with Advocacy Advance’s guidance and resources, ABC initiated campaigns that speak to a wide audience to translate those demands into funding. In addition to opening Federal<a href="http://www.advocacyadvance.org/resources#CMAQ" target="_blank">congestion mitigation</a> and <a href="http://www.advocacyadvance.org/resources#HSIP" target="_blank">highway safety</a> funding programs up to eligible bicycle and pedestrian projects, the <a href="http://clatl.com/freshloaf/archives/2013/02/04/city-council-to-vote-today-on-25-million-in-bicycle-projects" target="_blank">City of Atlanta approved <strong>$2.5 million</strong></a> in local dollars for bike projects, which will add 15 miles of high-quality infrastructure. ABC also launched a <a href="http://www.atlantabike.org/connecting_the_city" target="_blank">Connecting the City campaign</a> to prioritize a network of connective corridors through the city and are working with neighborhood liaison groups to identify <a href="http://www.atlantabike.org/gain_influence" target="_blank">bike friendly neighborhood projects</a> from the grassroots level.</p>
<p>“[Advocacy Advance] trainings, online resources, and one-on-one guidance have all been invaluable,” says Rebecca. “We’re still learning, but this grant has made a tremendous difference to our organization and our city.”</p>
<h2>Working in tandem with government agencies</h2>
<p>Rebecca and her staff also experienced success with their emphasis on working in tandem with government agencies, rather than in opposition. By showcasing examples of success and maintaining a constructive approach to criticism they’ve created a positive feedback loop that gets things done.</p>
<p><strong>Lessons learned:</strong></p>
<ul><li><strong>Understanding formula models</strong> (or knowing people who do) is important, so you are advocating for things that are within the realm of possibility, but…</li>
<li>…the <strong>politics of decision making</strong> and being part of the decision making process has a greater impact.</li>
<li><strong>Creating a few champions</strong> takes a lot of background work and relationship building over months and years. The mayor of a large city doesn’t get on a bike overnight – he has to see it and hear about it, from constituents and staff, to make it happen.</li>
<li>It’s less important that the mayor or other elected officials become true believers than that you<strong>make the political equation add up</strong> for them. “By showcasing our mayor as progressive on biking issues, we’ve helped amplify the voice of important constituencies (millennials, young professionals, families, workers, the health community), thereby giving everyone motivation to keep things rolling,” says Rebecca.</li>
<li><strong>Activating membership</strong> to not just occasionally email but really get to know their councilmembers pays off in a big way.</li>
<li>Finding ways to <strong>build political capital</strong> while holding electeds to their promises can be tricky. Diplomatic, positive messages generally work best. </li>
</ul><p style="text-align: center;"><img src="/sites/default/files/ABC_MayorReed.jpg" width="500" height="333" style="margin: 15px auto; display: block;" /> <em>Atlanta Mayor Reed joined some 150 Atlantans and the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition on a bike ride. Mayor Reed spoke warmly of the rise in biking in Atlanta, and celebrated National Bike Month. Photo courtesy of Cameron Adams / <a href="https://www.facebook.com/atlantabike/photos/pb.124959360914931.-2207520000.1418928080./649874865090042/?type=3&amp;theater" target="_blank">Atlanta Bicycle Coalition</a>.</em></p>
<h2>Future campaigns</h2>
<p>What’s next? This year, Atlanta was chosen as one of the next <a href="http://www.peopleforbikes.org/blog/entry/peopleforbikes-selects-new-green-lane-project-cities" target="_blank">Green Lane Project 2.0 cities</a>. They have a goal of including 15% of funding ($37.5 million) for bikeways and complete streets in the City’s <a href="http://www.atlantabike.org/campaigns" target="_blank">2015 transportation bond</a>. Staff and board also <a href="http://www.advocacyadvance.org/media/blog/atlantas-big-bicycling-ambitions" target="_blank">worked with Advocacy Advance</a> to plan a campaign to add a surcharge on private parking to fund “Good Streets” with biking and walking components. \And, this January, ABC and Advocacy Advance will co-host a symposium of active transportation advocates in the south to discuss ways to build political will and explore local projects – what is working, as well as what hasn’t.</p>
<p>Atlanta Bicycle Coalition’s exhaustive work had led to a shift in the city’s notorious car-centric attitude towards a more inclusive, active transportation interested culture. The Advocacy Advance team has been proud to support and work with ABC over the past three years.</p>
<p><em><a href="http://www.bikewalkalliance.org/news/489-partnership-and-persistence-the-bike-pittsburgh-model-grant-story">Click here to learn more lessons from other Model Grantee, Bike Pittsburgh</a>.</em></p>
</div></div></div>Wed, 17 Dec 2014 16:56:04 +0000Liz Murphy5024 at http://bikeleague.orghttp://bikeleague.org/content/southern-success-story#commentsPartnership & Persistence: Bike Pittsburgh http://bikeleague.org/content/partnership-persistence-bike-pittsburgh
<div class="field field-name-field-category field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Advocacy Advance</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"> <p><em>Cross-posted from the <a href="http://www.advocacyadvance.org/media/blog/partnership-and-persistence-the-bike-pittsburgh-model-grant-story" target="_blank">Advocacy Advance blog</a>. In 2011, Advocacy Advance <a href="http://www.advocacyadvance.org/media/press-release/advocacy-advance-awards-100000-in-grants" target="_blank">awarded Model Grants</a> to advocates in Pittsburgh and Atlanta to provide multi-year support for efforts to significantly increase public investments for biking and walking. Three years later, these grants have come to a close, resulting in exciting progress, major wins, and stage-setting advocacy in both communities. This blog series about the wins and lessons learned from our Model Grantees.</em></p>
<p>“We need a mayor like that!”</p>
<p>That’s the sentiment heard from many people after Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto concluded his remarks at the <a href="http://www.bikeleague.org/content/2014-summit" target="_blank">2014 National Bike Summit</a>. Moments earlier, <a href="http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/news/2014/03/10/peduto-to-name-bike-advocate-to-spc-board.html?page=all" target="_blank">Mayor Peduto had announced</a> to the 800 bicycling advocates in attendance that he was appointing <a href="http://bikepgh.org/" target="_blank">Bike Pittsburgh (BikePGH)</a> Executive Director Scott Bricker to his region’s Metropolitan Planning Organization. (You can see the <a href="http://vimeo.com/88330498" target="_blank">video here at minute 5:30</a>.) That appointment means that bicyclists have a seat at the table for important regional transportation planning and funding decisions.</p>
<p><img src="/sites/default/files/BikePGH_MayorPeduto_0.jpg" width="600" height="400" style="margin: 15px auto; display: block;" /></p>
<p class="img-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Pittsburgh Mayor Peduto speaks at the 2014 National Bike Summit and announces the appointment of Bike Pittsburgh's Executive Director Scott Bricker to the MPO board. Photo by Brian Palmer.</em></p>
<p>That’s just one of the outcomes of the <a href="http://www.advocacyadvance.org/grants#past" target="_blank"><strong>Model Grant that Advocacy Advance</strong></a> awarded to BikePGH three years ago. “Above all, it was our persistence, our partnerships, and making sure our voice was heard loud and clear during the last mayoral elections that helped us score our biggest wins,” says Scott Bricker of what made BikePGH effective.</p>
<h2>Building relationships and creating champions</h2>
<p>First, they focused on elevating their relationship with the City. In collaboration with the City, BikePGH started a working group so that we could identify projects and apply for funding to pursue them. BikePGH:</p>
<ul><li>Helped shed light on current biking trends with their <a href="http://bikepgh.org/betterbikeways/" target="_blank">Better Bikeways Vision</a></li>
<li>Researched how other cities approached bike/ped projects</li>
<li>Helped draft applications</li>
<li>Contributed to the City’s new bike plan and the county’s Active Allegheny plan</li>
<li>Immersed themselves in as many neighborhood plans as possible</li>
<li>Sought out ways for existing plans to include biking and walking elements</li>
<li>Got involved with major local development projects like Bakery Square 2 which will house Google’s new expanded Pittsburgh offices<img src="/sites/default/files/BikePGH_AlleghenyGreen.jpg" width="500" style="line-height: 1.538em; margin: 15px auto; display: block;" /><span style="line-height: 1.538em;"> </span><em style="text-align: center; line-height: 1.538em;">BikePGH’s Better Bikeways Vision stresses that bike routes must be interconnected, safe, attractive, and comfortable in order to appeal to people of all ages, especially those who are interested in riding a bike but concerned for their safety. Image courtesy of BikePGH.</em></li>
</ul><p>And they got much more involved in the regional planning organization, the Southwest Pennsylvania Commission, or SPC, which ultimately makes the decisions on how and where transportation dollars are spent. That involvement, plus that support of the mayor, is what lead to Bricker’s appointment to the organization’s board. “By getting onto the selection committee and immersing ourselves in the process, we were able to better understand how the funding streams work and use that knowledge to help make sure Pittsburgh and other municipalities applied for this funding and that their applications were competitive,” Bricker says.</p>
<h3>Building relationships and creating champions </h3>
<p>A major priority for BikePGH during the Model Grant period was engaging in local politics and focusing on the 2013 mayoral primary. BikePGH launched their <a href="http://bikepgh.org/we-bike-we-walk-we-vote-2013/" target="_blank">We bike. We walk. We Vote.</a>campaign and collected over 2,500 signatures from Pittsburghers demanding that the mayoral candidates take up walking and biking as part of their platform. They also:</p>
<ul><li>Presented their policy platform to the mayoral candidates</li>
<li>Helped form a coalition with other non-profit environmental groups to host a forum where the mayoral candidates addressed key environmental issues to our city</li>
<li>Helped transform the coalition into a non-profit advisory council for the new mayor</li>
</ul><p><strong>All of that lead to one of the most exciting developments in Pittsburgh: they now have a mayor who is a great champion of biking and walking projects.</strong> “I think we successfully demonstrated to the Mayor just how important walking and biking issues are to Pittsburghers,” says Bricker. </p>
<h2>Millions of biking and walking funding won</h2>
<p>Over the past 3 years with their Advocacy Advance Model Grant, BikePGH has made tremendous progress. For example, they have:</p>
<ul><li>Helped secure over $1.5 million dollars in federal funds through <a href="http://www.advocacyadvance.org/resources#CMAQ" target="_blank">Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program (CMAQ)</a> funds for bike share, which is launching in the Spring of 2015</li>
<li>Brought in another million dollars to implement the City’s bicycle route and signage plan</li>
<li>Secured another $350,000 in <a href="http://www.advocacyadvance.org/resources#federal" target="_blank">Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP)</a> funds specifically to install more bike lanes, including the next generation of protected bike lanes, and</li>
<li>Advocated at the state level to secure millions of dollars in <a href="http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/penndot-ninety-one-projects-to-improve-mobility-safety-with-act-89-multimodal-transit-funds-280667742.html" target="_blank">multi-modal funds in the Pennsylvania state transportation bill</a>, Act 89 of 2013.</li>
<li>Was selected as a <a href="http://bikepgh.org/2014/03/10/its-official-protected-bike-lanes-are-coming-to-pittsburgh/" target="_blank">Green Lane Project 2.0</a> from <a href="http://www.peopleforbikes.org/green-lane-project" target="_blank">PeopleForBikes</a>, with three protected bike lane projects installed and created nearly 2 miles of protected bike lanes -- a first for the City.</li>
</ul><p><strong>And this is just the beginning.</strong> Since 2012 alone, the City has more than doubled the amount of money in the budget dedicated to biking and walking.</p>
<ul><li>The City just passed a budget that includes the largest allocation for biking and walking projects, since at least we’ve been around - about ten times the previous capital budget.</li>
<li>The Mayor just launched his draft budget, and the biking project allocation is ten times what is was in the previous capital budget.</li>
</ul><p>We applaud BikePGH for their hard work and effectiveness building partnerships, creating political power for bicycling and walking, and sticking with it.</p>
<p><em><a href="http://http//www.bikewalkalliance.org/news/490-lessons-from-atlanta-a-southern-success-story">Click here to learn more lessons from other Model Grantee, the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition.</a></em></p>
</div></div></div>Wed, 17 Dec 2014 16:50:00 +0000Christy Kwan5023 at http://bikeleague.orghttp://bikeleague.org/content/partnership-persistence-bike-pittsburgh#commentsNew Report: Paying for Trails, Lanes, Sidewalkshttp://bikeleague.org/content/new-report-paying-trails-lanes-sidewalks
<div class="field field-name-field-category field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Advocacy Advance</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"> <p><em>This post originally appeared on the Advocacy Advance <a href="http://www.advocacyadvance.org/media/blog/new-report-how-communities-are-paying-to-maintain-trails-bike-lanes-and-sid" target="_blank">website</a>.</em></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.538em;">As part of the Advocacy Advance partnership between the </span><a style="line-height: 1.538em;" href="http://www.bikeleague.org/">League of American Bicyclists</a><span style="line-height: 1.538em;"> and the </span><a style="line-height: 1.538em;" href="http://www.bikewalkalliance.org/">Alliance for Biking and Walking</a> <span style="line-height: 1.538em;">we travel around the country and talk to people about how to fund bicycling and walking projects. We get to see what's happening all over and pick up on the exciting trends and common challenges. Sometimes the challenges are technical in nature; just as often, they are political.</span></p>
<p>We often heard people say: “If my community builds this <em>trail/ protected bikeway/ sidewalk</em>, even if we use federal funds, we will have to foot the bill for maintenance – and we can’t afford it.” For example, one advocate in a large rural western state explained the dilemma:</p>
<p><em>"What we’re running into and hearing is that Parks Departments are becoming resistant to more urban paths being built because they are then expected to maintain them with no additional funding. Parks Departments are becoming strapped. How can we build a case for more facilities when there’s no money to maintain them? Our Department of Transportation will build separate paths but then sign agreements with counties or communities that will maintain them. It’s a really tough sell because counties don’t want that responsibility so they don’t want them built."</em></p>
<p>Having heard this several times, we decided to find out how other communities fund the on-going maintenance of their bicycling and walking facilities. We contacted planners and advocates in different communities to ask not just about trails, but also sidewalks and on-road bicycle facilities, like protected bikeways.</p>
<p>The response we heard from communities who are overcoming this challenge was remarkably consistent across community size, context, and project type: <strong>We build and maintain our bicycling and walking facilities because they are a priority for our community.</strong><span style="line-height: 1.538em;"> </span></p>
<p><strong><img src="/sites/default/files/snowplows_OlentangyTrail.jpg" width="600" height="293" style="margin: 15px auto; display: block;" /></strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>In Columbus, Ohio, trail plowing equipment is used to maintain several Greenway systems. </em><em>Photo courtesy of Keith Mayton/ The Columbus Dispatch.</em></p>
<h4>How Communities Are Paying to Maintain Trails, Bike Lanes, and Sidewalks</h4>
<p>Our new report, <a href="http://bit.ly/BikeWalkMaintenance">"How Communities Are Paying to Maintain Trails, Bike Lanes, and Sidewalks" (PDF)</a>, addresses both the technical and political challenges. It examines agency maintenance policies and procedures for bike/ped maintenance, and it provides several examples of communities who’ve successfully made these facilities a sufficient priority to overcome the challenge of paying for maintenance. We share examples related to sidewalks, trails, and protected bikeways.</p>
<p>Read the full report for:</p>
<ul><li>Madison, WI’s detailed winter maintenance policies</li>
<li>How the Miami Valley, OH, Metropolitan Planning Organization uses an economic impact study showing an annual $15 million economic impact of the trail system, which cost a total of $50 million over 30 years, to justify the on-gong maintenance cost</li>
<li>A list of state and federal funding sources used to pay for maintenance of recreational trails</li>
<li>How Salt Lake City, UT, and Syracuse, NY handle winter maintenance of their protected bikeways</li>
<li>How a local elected official and bicycling advocates in Washington, DC, organized to get a protected bikeway repaved (before the rest of the street)</li>
<li>How Cincinnati, OH, Long Beach, CA, and Arlington, TX maintain their bike lanes</li>
<li>Issues involved in sidewalk maintenance</li>
<li>How Los Angeles and Atlanta and handling sidewalk maintenance differently</li>
<li>Liability and ADA issues and reasons to do maintenance</li>
</ul><p> </p>
<p><iframe src="//e.issuu.com/embed.html#10882905/10539711" frameborder="0" width="525" height="679"></iframe></p>
</div></div></div>Fri, 12 Dec 2014 18:28:16 +0000Darren Flusche5016 at http://bikeleague.orghttp://bikeleague.org/content/new-report-paying-trails-lanes-sidewalks#commentsAdvocacy Advance: Rapid Response Granteeshttp://bikeleague.org/content/advocacy-advance-rapid-response-grantees
<div class="field field-name-field-category field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Advocacy Advance</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"> <p><em>This post originally appeared on the Advocacy Advance blog. <a href="http://www.advocacyadvance.org/media/blog/2014-rapid-response-grantees-ballot-measure-edition" target="_blank">Learn more here.</a></em></p>
<p>Thanks to the generous support from the <a href="http://www.sramcyclingfund.com/">SRAM Cycling Fund</a> and <a href="http://www.rei.com/stewardship/community.html">REI</a>, Advocacy Advance offers <a href="http://www.advocacyadvance.org/grants">Rapid Response Grants</a> to help state and local advocacy organizations to win, increase, and preserve public funding for biking and walking in their communities. In 2014, Advocacy Advance supported 18 biking and walking advocacy organizations with our standard Rapid Response Grants, as well as an additional <a href="http://www.advocacyadvance.org/media/blog/advocacy-advance-awards-30000-in-big-idea-grants-for-innovative-active-tran">three “Big Idea” campaigns</a> announced last month. While many of these Rapid Response campaigns are still underway and with some Rapid Response Grant funds still available, here are the highlights and lessons learned from completed Rapid Response campaigns in 2014.</p>
<p>This year, Advocacy Advance supported three completed campaigns from biking and walking advocates seeking to win active transportation dollars through sales tax ballot measures for transportation. Stay tuned next week for four additional campaigns seeking to increase active transportation funding through policy or legislative campaigns. </p>
<h3><img src="/sites/default/files/BicycleCO.jpg" width="150" style="margin: 15px; float: right;" />Bicycle Colorado</h3>
<p><a href="http://bicyclecolorado.org/">Bicycle Colorado</a> worked with other transportation and environmental partners in Colorado to determine if voters would approve a 0.7% sales tax increase to fund transportation projects, if it were included on the November ballot. To determine the feasibility of the ballot measure, the coalition conducted a poll in January 2014. By working with the coalition partners, Bicycle Colorado included questions about biking and walking investments in the poll. The poll found that voters were highly unlikely to support any tax increase for transportation in the November election. However, the poll did demonstrate 83% of respondents supported Safe Routes to School programs – more than any other transportation expenditure – followed closely at 72% supporting general bike/ped infrastructure.</p>
<p>The poll’s results helped build Bicycle Colorado’s voice to increase funding for biking and walking in the state. Bicycle Colorado used the poll results to demonstrate the support for key biking and walking programs, such as Safe Routes to School. <a href="http://bicyclecolorado.org/governor-hickenlooper-signs-safe-routes-bill-into-law/"><strong>In May 2014, the Colorado legislature passed a bill that allocated $700,000 of general tax revenues to fund Safe Routes to School programming in 2015.</strong></a> Then in October 2014, the joint transportation committees of the state senate and house voted to introduce legislation in January 2015 to fund $3 million of Safe Routes to School infrastructure and non-infrastructure programs.</p>
<p><img src="/sites/default/files/BicycleCO_Hickenlooper.jpg" width="600" height="251" style="margin: 15px;" /> <br /><em>On June 3, 2014, Colorado Governor Hickenlooper signed HB1301 into law, funding the state’s Safe Routes to School program. </em><em>Photo courtesy of Bicycle Colorado.</em></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.538em;">"The Rapid Response Grant provided Bicycle Colorado the funds to be a participant for the first-time ever in the beginning stages of planning new transportation funding," said Bicycle Colorado Executive Director Dan Grunig. “While the outcome determined voters would not support an increase in tax for general transportation funding, bicycle and pedestrian programs and infrastructure were the highest priorities expressed by voters. The importance voters place on safe, connected travel by walking and bicycling will add to our growing business and economic case for better investments in biking and walking in Colorado.“</span></p>
<h3><img src="/sites/default/files/BikeWalkGreenville.png" width="200" height="67" style="margin: 15px; float: right;" />Bike Walk Greenville</h3>
<p><a href="http://www.bikewalkgreenville.org/">Bike Walk Greenville</a> in South Carolina worked with other partners in Greenville County to support a one-penny sales tax ballot measure to fund transportation projects. If approved, the sales tax would have lasted for eight years or until more than $673 million was raised from the tax. Of the total revenue, $47.6 million would have supported biking and walking. Unfortunately, <a href="http://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/news/politics/2014/11/04/county-voters-bury-sales-tax-plan/18502641/">voters did not approve</a> the ballot measure this past November.</p>
<p>A <a href="http://www.advocacyadvance.org/media/blog/poll-finds-voters-in-greenville-sc-in-favor-of-sales-tax-to-fund-bicycle-an">poll in 2013</a> showed that 75% of respondents agreed that elected officials should support funding for a variety of transportation projects, including improvements not only for roads, but also for bicycle, pedestrian, and transit improvements. The poll and supportive letters to the editor convinced the Greenville County Council to let voters decide on the sales tax ballot measure, as well as appointed a citizen commission to compile a list of eligible projects to receive funding.</p>
<p>In preparation for the November election, Bike Walk Greenville partnered with other organizations like Upstate Forever, the Greenville Chamber of Commerce, and the Home Builders Association to rally support for the measure. To inform voters about the bicycling and walking projects to be supported by the ballot measure, Bike Walk Greenville created maps of each of the Safe Routes to School Projects to be funded (<a href="http://www.bikewalkgreenville.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Maps-of-Safe-Routes-to-School-Projects-reduced.pdf">PDF</a>), as well as numerous other resources to help garner support from voters.</p>
<p>“Despite the loss of the election, we reached thousands of people in Greenville County about the need to support active transportation,” said Frank Mansbach, Executive Director at Bike Walk Greenville.</p>
<h3><img src="/sites/default/files/SiliconValleyBicycleCoalition.jpg" width="150" style="margin: 15px; float: right;" />Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition</h3>
<p><a href="http://bikesiliconvalley.org/">Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition (SBVC)</a> moved swiftly to be a part of the discussion when civic leaders in Santa Clara County, California were coming together to plan a 0.25% sales tax increase for transportation projects – including a potential expansion of the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) to San Jose – in the November 2014 election. The proposed increase would yield an estimated $3.7 billion over 30 years to fund transportation in the County. SVBC recognized the opportunity to also potentially win a dedicated percentage of funding for bicycling and walking.</p>
<p>SVBC met with local business leaders, such as representatives from Apple, Google, and Suffolk Northern, as well as spoke at a San Jose Council meeting to build support for funding bicycling and walking improvements.</p>
<p>In the end, civic leaders at the local metropolitan planning organization (in California, they are sometimes called Congestion Management Agencies, or CMAs), Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, decided to move the ballot measure to November 2016 to continue to build support and to craft a stronger transportation ballot measure. In the meantime, SVBC has continued to build relationships with their local civic and business leaders. In addition, SVBC helped the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority create stakeholder groups of community leaders to provide guidance on matters of importance to the local nonprofit community, including giving early input into the next sales tax measure.</p>
<p><em style="line-height: 1.538em;">Working on a bicycling and walking advocacy campaign? <a href="http://www.advocacyadvance.org/grants">Read more and learn how to apply for a Rapid Response Grant</a>. Also check out our report, <a href="http://www.advocacyadvance.org/resources#campaigns">"Success at the Ballot Box: Winning Bicycle-Pedestrian Ballot Measures"</a> for additional lessons learned from bicycling and walking advocates.</em></p>
<p><em>Stay tuned next week for completed 2014 Rapid Response Grants - Policy and legislative campaigns.</em></p>
</div></div></div>Mon, 08 Dec 2014 21:32:11 +0000Christy Kwan5010 at http://bikeleague.orghttp://bikeleague.org/content/advocacy-advance-rapid-response-grantees#commentsREI Awards $25K in Rapid Response Grantshttp://bikeleague.org/content/rei-awards-25k-rapid-response-grants
<div class="field field-name-field-category field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Advocacy Advance</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"> <p><em><strong>This blog originally appeared on the Advocacy Advance <a href="http://www.advocacyadvance.org/media/blog/rei-awards-advocacy-advance-25000-to-support-rapid-response-grants" target="_blank">website</a>. </strong></em></p>
<p>The Advocacy Advance partnership is pleased to announce new support from <a href="http://www.rei.com/">REI</a>. Through REI’s stewardship and community partnerships, which aims to build and sustain access to inspiring outdoor experiences for the benefits of its members and the broader community, Advocacy Advance received a $25,000 grant to bolster the partnership’s Rapid Response Grants.</p>
<p>Advocacy Advance deploys <a href="http://www.advocacyadvance.org/grants">Rapid Response Grants</a> to help advocacy organizations take advantage of unexpected opportunities to access public funds for bicycling and walking investments. These quick turnaround grants range from $1,000 - $3,000 and are awarded on a rolling basis. Since 2011, Rapid Response Grants have funded 35 campaigns in 24 states. Combined, these campaigns have won or preserved over $150 million in public funding, leveraging <strong>$1,700 in biking and walking investments for every $1 spent</strong> since 2009.</p>
<p><strong>REI’s support will allow Advocacy Advance to fund an additional eight campaigns to win new local, state, and federal dollars to pay for walking and biking projects and programs in communities around the country.</strong></p>
<p>“Communities should have immediate access to outdoor places to lead active lifestyles,” said Taldi Walter, community affairs program manager for REI. “Partnering with the Alliance supports important work to create alternatives for our customers and members who choose to commute by bike or foot.”</p>
<p><img src="/sites/default/files/REI_Atlanta.jpg" width="500" height="260" style="margin: 15px;" /></p>
<p><em style="line-height: 1.538em;">REI has previously provided a grant to empower local residents to care for the Atlanta Beltline’s Eastside Trail. Atlanta City Mayor Kasim Reed took a ride on the new Atlanta BeltLine Eastside Trail during the trail dedication ceremony in October 2012. Photo from REI/ Christopher T. Martin.</em></p>
<p><strong style="line-height: 1.538em;">Sharing campaign lessons</strong></p>
<p>By focusing on the specific goal of winning public dollars for active transportation projects, Advocacy Advance has been able to hone resources and respond to the trends and needs of local biking and walking advocacy. As a result, Advocacy Advance has <a href="http://www.advocacyadvance.org/resources#campaignplans">compiled sharable lessons</a> to support a groundswell of parallel campaigns around the country. Last September, Rapid Response grantees across the country convened in person to share challenges, successes and advocacy tactics with their peers working on campaigns to influence local ballot measures, state transportation bills, agency policy change, and implementation of the federal transportation bill.</p>
<p><img src="/sites/default/files/RapidResponseConvening.jpg" width="500" style="margin: 15px;" /><br /><em style="line-height: 1.538em;">Rapid Response Grantees met in person in September to share campaign tactics.</em></p>
<p>While Rapid Response Grants have directly resulted in over $150 million of public funding for walking and biking projects, advocates calculated <strong>over $500 million</strong> indirectly leveraged as a result of their increased knowledge of the funding process and relationships with key decision-makers.</p>
<p>Advocacy Advance and REI share a common goal of empowering people to incorporate outdoor activity into their lives and creating accessible spaces that allow the outdoor economy to thrive. Thanks to advocacy efforts by grassroots leaders across North America, more and more rural, suburban, and urban communities have constructed transportation and recreation infrastructure that bring outdoor activity areas closer to citizens’ doorsteps.</p>
<p>With REI’s help, Advocacy Advance will support additional state and local efforts that are critical to win public dollars for walking and biking and dramatically increase outdoor recreation and active transportation access to enrich our communities and build the outdoor economy.</p>
<p>Is your organization working under a tight timeframe to unlock public dollars to plan, build, maintain, or promote safe walking and biking facilities? If so, <a href="http://www.advocacyadvance.org/grants">apply for a Rapid Response Grant!</a></p>
</div></div></div>Thu, 13 Nov 2014 15:16:16 +0000Christy Kwan4990 at http://bikeleague.orghttp://bikeleague.org/content/rei-awards-25k-rapid-response-grants#commentsAdvocacy Advance Awards $30K in Big Ideashttp://bikeleague.org/content/advocacy-advance-awards-30k-big-ideas
<div class="field field-name-field-category field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Advocacy Advance</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 1.538em;">Last month Advocacy Advance held an </span><a style="line-height: 1.538em;" href="http://www.advocacyadvance.org/media/blog/announcing-advocacy-advance-big-ideas-grants" target="_blank">open call for applications</a><span style="line-height: 1.538em;"> from bicycling and walking advocacy organizations for innovative campaigns to address the most pressing issues in bicycling and walking advocacy investments. Today, we’re excited to announce the three campaigns receiving our “Big Idea” Grants.</span><span style="line-height: 1.538em;"> </span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">If successful, these three campaigns will address the urgent need for biking and walking investment at the local level. These advocacy campaigns will take place at a time when walking and bicycling projects prove immensely popular at the local level, even as Congress’ commitment to active transportation fails to keep pace with growing preferences to walk and bike for everyday transportation. 11.5% of all trips are taken by bicycle or on foot, 14.9% of roadway fatalities are pedestrians and bicyclists, but only 2.1% of federal funding goes to bicycling and walking projects. The average American has driven fewer miles each year since 2004, and Americans take 112 million walking trips and 11 million bicycle trips in the United States every day.</p>
<p>Advocacy Advance’s “Big Idea” grants are intended to help seize unforeseen opportunities, support short-term campaigns, or push campaigns into the end zone to win funding for biking and walking infrastructure and programs. These grants are modeled after the program’s <a href="http://www.advocacyadvance.org/grants#rapidresponsegrants" target="_blank">“Rapid Response” grants</a>, which have helped state and local advocates win over $120 million for biking and walking in local, state, and federal funding – a return on investment of $1,700 won for every $1 granted. </p>
<p>Together, the three recipients of “Big Idea” grants will advance bicycling and walking in their regions in the areas of safety, equity, and innovative state and local campaigns. The three campaigns are: </p>
<p><a href="http://www.bicyclecoalition.org" target="_blank"><strong>Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia</strong></a><strong>,</strong> in collaboration with other community development and environmental organizations, will work on the Better Mobility Philadelphia campaign to elevate Vision Zero and safer mobility as a campaign issue for the 2015 election in the City of Philadelphia. The campaign will seek commitment from mayoral candidates to increase funding and to create a dedicated funding source for the transportation infrastructure and programs needed to implement Vision Zero. </p>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.btaoregon.org" target="_blank">Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA</a>) </strong><strong>and <a href="http://www.oregonwalks.org" target="_blank">Oregon Walks</a></strong> will leverage a strong partnership to build a broad coalition demanding a Vision Zero approach to transportation planning, policy, and funding to all levels of Oregon government. Both organizations will advocate for a progressive, equitable structure to a proposed local fee package to provide crucial funding for priority safety projects. This campaign will also build a regional coalition based on shared goals for injury prevention, safety, and livability. BTA and Oregon Walks will conduct advocacy trainings to empower citizens to work directly on neighborhood safety and to be engaged in the Vision Zero stakeholder engagement process.</p>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.la-bike.org" target="_blank">Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition (LACBC)</a> </strong>will work with five cities in southeastern Los Angeles County to develop a model for inclusive and equitable active transportation planning processes. The five cities have high numbers of people biking, walking and taking transit, but without appropriate infrastructure to do so safely. This campaign will boost communities’ capacity to compete for funding from California’s Active Transportation Program (ATP), therefore unlocking future revenue measures for people who bike and walk for the next few decades.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="/sites/default/files/BigIdeasGrantees_Congrats.jpg" width="500" style="margin: 15px auto; display: block;" /><em>Congratulations to the “Big Idea” Grantees: Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, Bicycle Transportation Alliance and Oregon Walks, and Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition!</em> </p>
<p>“The ‘Big Idea’ grantees will be working on campaigns that can serve as a model for other for biking and walking advocates across the country,” said Darren Flusche, Policy Director at the Advocacy Advance partnership. “Advocates are looking for ways to not only secure commitments from their departments of transportation and elected officials – but also to ensure that proper funding commitments are in place to make Vision Zero a reality.”</p>
<p>“We are excited to highlight model campaigns that advocates can mimic to ensure inclusive planning processes in their own communities,” said Brighid O’Keane, Advocacy Director at the Advocacy Advance partnership. “Low-income communities and communities of color are often left out of transportation funding decisions. All three ‘Big Idea’ grantees will spearhead inclusive processes to ensure that <em>all</em> people who bike and walk are represented.”</p>
<p>Over the past three years, Advocacy Advance has awarded grants that have supported campaigns that have won over $120 million in public investments for active transportation projects. <em>Click <a href="http://www.advocacyadvance.org/grants" target="_blank">here</a> to learn more about Advocacy Advance’s grant program.</em></p>
<div> </div>
</div></div></div>Mon, 10 Nov 2014 15:58:47 +0000Christy Kwan4988 at http://bikeleague.orghttp://bikeleague.org/content/advocacy-advance-awards-30k-big-ideas#commentsHow'd They Fare? Transportation Ballot Measureshttp://bikeleague.org/content/howd-they-fare-transportation-ballot-measures
<div class="field field-name-field-category field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Advocacy Advance</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"> <p><em><strong><span style="line-height: 20.0063037872314px;">This blog is cross-posted from the Advocacy Advance <a href="http://www.advocacyadvance.org/media/blog/campaign-updates-active-transportation-ballot-measures" target="_blank">site</a>, and is written by Brighid O'Keane.</span></strong></em></p>
<p>Voters flocked to the polls on Tuesday and we saw many changes in State Houses and Congress. But what did November 4th mean for biking and walking? Advocacy Advance <a href="http://www.advocacyadvance.org/site_images/content/ballot_measures_report_web_copy_2.pdf">tracks and supports campaigns</a> to win public funding for active transportation. Here is an update to highly-anticipated transportation ballot measures that open up funding for local walking and biking projects.</p>
<p><strong>Alameda County, CA</strong></p>
<p>After <a href="http://www.advocacyadvance.org/media/blog/looking-back-a-losing-ballot-measure-campaign-was-a-big-long-term-win">falling just 700 votes short</a> of the two-thirds majority required for passage for Measure B in 2012, Bike East Bay and parters returned to the ballot on Tuesday and <a href="https://bikeeastbay.org/news/measure-bb-passes">won</a>! Measure BB, which passsed 70%-30%, increases the transportation sales tax from half a cent to a full penny on the dollar and will provide <strong>$1 billion for walking and biking </strong>over thirty years.</p>
<p><img src="/sites/default/files/bike_east_bay.jpg" width="500" height="301" style="margin: 15px auto; display: block;" /></p>
<p><strong style="line-height: 1.538em;">San Francisco, CA</strong></p>
<p>Across the Bay, <a href="http://www.sfbike.org/news/local-election-a-sweep-for-safe-streets-and-great-transit/">San Francisco Bicycle Coalition celebrates</a> a "sweep for safe streets." Proposition A, a $500 million bond for transit passed. Proposition L, an anti-bike/ped, anti-transit effort to prioritize private auto trips, failed. Proposition B passed, which will provide a $23 million budget boost for transportation and dedicate 25% - at least <strong>$5 million</strong> - for bicycle and pedestrian safety projects.</p>
<p><strong>Greenville County, SC</strong></p>
<p>After a <a href="http://www.advocacyadvance.org/media/blog/poll-finds-voters-in-greenville-sc-in-favor-of-sales-tax-to-fund-bicycle-an">successful poll in 2013</a> showed public agreement that elected officials should support funding for a variety of transportation types, the Greenville County Council voted to include bicycle, pedestrian, and transit improvements in the one-penny sales tax. Unfortunately, despite educational efforts by <a href="http://www.bikewalkgreenville.org/vote-county-roads-referendum/">Bike Walk Greenville</a> and <a href="http://www.upstateforever.org/">Upstate Forever</a>, the multi-modal measure, which would have provided $47.6 million over 8 years for walking and biking, <a href="http://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/news/politics/2014/11/04/county-voters-bury-sales-tax-plan/">failed</a> on Tuesday.</p>
<p><strong>Austin, TX</strong></p>
<p>Voters <a href="http://impactnews.com/vote-2014/vote-central-texas/city-of-austin-1-billion-rail-road-bond/">turned down "urban rail" transportation bond</a> in Austin. <a href="http://bikeaustin.org/2014/10/bike-austins-endorsements/">Bike Austin endorsed Proposition 1</a>, which would have provided first and last mile connections to a key transportation corridor.</p>
<p><strong>State of Massachusetts</strong></p>
<p>Ballot Question 1 passed in Massachusetts, which is a <a href="http://www.livablestreets.info/streetlife/what-does-yes-q1-mean-you">loss for active transportation</a>. Question 1 repeals a provision in a law passed in 2013 that would increase the gas tax annually to match the growth in the consumer price index for the use of transportation projects. The passing of Q1 will eliminate a projected $1 billion over the next ten years to spend on transportation projects across the state to keep our roads, bridges, and public transportation safe. </p>
<p><strong>Alachua County and City of Gainesville, FL</strong></p>
<p>A one cent sales tax for eight years to fund transportation <a href="http://www.gainesville.com/article/20141104/ARTICLES/141109836">failed on Tuesday</a>. Five percent of city revenue plus 5% of county revenue, totalling $3 million annually, would have been dedicated to walking and biking projects. This is the second attempt at a transportation funding measure, after a roads only measure failed in 2012. </p>
<p><strong>Fairfax County, VA</strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/fairfax-voters-approve-100-million-in-bonds-for-bike-lanes-walkways-and-roads/2014/11/06/48297c9e-65d7-11e4-9fdc-d43b053ecb4d_story.html">Voters approved a bond</a> for bicycle, pedestrian, and road improvements in Tyson's Corner along the new Silver line. Out of the $100 million bond, <strong>$84 million</strong> is dedicated to sidewalks and bicycle infrastrucure.</p>
<p><strong>Cobb County, GA</strong></p>
<p>Fifty-three percent of voters <a href="http://www.cfte.org/elections/1530/cobb-county">approved</a> a renewal to the one cent sales tax for transportation projects, including <strong>$35 million</strong> for bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure.</p>
<p>There were some wins and some losses at the polls this week, but advocates for active transportation can celebrate <strong>over $1,124,000,000</strong> in local biking and walking investments won at the ballot box. </p>
<p><em>Looking towards your next election? Apply for an Advocacy Advance <a href="http://www.advocacyadvance.org/grants">Rapid Response Grant</a> to support your campaign!</em></p>
</div></div></div>Fri, 07 Nov 2014 16:21:51 +0000Liz Murphy4986 at http://bikeleague.orghttp://bikeleague.org/content/howd-they-fare-transportation-ballot-measures#comments